Windshield wipers are commonly used to wipe away rainwater, snow, ice and debris from windshields on vehicles including automobiles, trains, watercraft, and even aircraft. It is well known that blades on such windshield wipers are susceptible to degradation over time and must be replaced periodically. Indeed, because the blades usually comprise rubber compounds, exposure to heat, and the sun in particular, causes constituent oils and minerals in the blade to burn. This, in turn, causes the blade to warp, tear, and crack. Under normal operation, springs hold windshield wipers tight against the windshield so that the windshield wiper blades form a seal to displace any water, soap, and/or debris deposited thereon. When the blades become damaged, though, they leave streaks of contaminants where a seal was improperly formed and often squeal as they are pivoted across the windshield. Not only is this bothersome to a driver, but it can also be dangerous. For example, streaks and leftover debris and contaminants can impair the driver's vision. As it is, the only way to correct the problem is to periodically purchase new windshield wipers to replace the degraded ones, usually every six to twelve months.
There have been some attempts to solve these problems. Various windshield apparatuses have been proposed that shield windshield wiper blades from the sun and heat when they are not in use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,563 to Forrest discloses a V-shaped cover that is slipped over a wiper blade, with a locking top closure to secure the blade within the cover. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,287 to Kornegay discloses a wiper blade assembly comprising a two-pocket cover, optionally cylindrical, which is slipped over opposite ends of the wiper blade, substantially engulfing the wiper blade assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 8,266,759 teaches a cover having a V-shaped cross sectional base body with a wiper lip, which is detatchably fixed to the wiper blade itself.
Such solutions have been deficient in a number of respects, though. For instance, each of the aforementioned patents requires a user to manually remove the covers from the windshield wiper blades prior to use. This can be particularly troublesome, and even dangerous, if there is a sudden change in the weather, such as a sudden downpour of rain. In that case, a driver would need to stop his car and remove the cover from the windshield wipers so that he can use the blades to remove rainwater from his line of sight.
Thus, there is a need for a cover that protects windshield wiper blades from damage when such blades are not in use. There is a further need for a cover from which a windshield wiper may be automatically removed, independent of a need to manually remove the cover from the blade.